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Alt. 19 where the residential action is

More commercial properties along the highway seek residential designations, and more condos and townhomes may be on the way.

By NICOLE JOHNSON
Published April 28, 2006

Alt. U.S. 19, once considered the little sister of built-out U.S. 19, is slowly becoming the new frontier of residential development in Palm Harbor.

In past months, a large commercial and a recreational-use property along the road have been proposed for rezoning to residential.

If approved, it would mean at least 200 more condos or townhomes built on Alt. 19. The Pinellas County Commission will consider the cases May 16.

It's a trend county planners say may continue.

The lack of land elsewhere in the county is making developers focus more on Alt. 19, which has several RV parks and underused commercial properties, said Paul Cassel, the county's director of development review services.

"A few years ago, it was East Lake (area), but now Alt. 19 is a very hot market," Cassel said. "Just a few years ago, we were seeing properties changing from residential to commercial out there, but today the demand seems to be with residential."

Cassel said the increased interest began two years ago when the county rezoned the former Stansell Trucking site on Alt. 19, just north of Florida Avenue, to residential.

The 8.5-acre site is now the Villas of San Marino at Palm Harbor with 64 townhomes under construction.

Property owners are being offered big money by developers who want to build homes. Some believe more of them will opt to take the money and move their businesses elsewhere.

Currently, Alt. 19 south of Klosterman in Palm Harbor is designated as a constrained roadway, a highly-traveled road that will not be widened.

County officials say the push to residential may be a move in the right direction considering there are no future improvements planned for the road .

"What we're trying to do is take into consideration that the road is a two-lane road and it won't be anything but that in the future," said county planning director Brian Smith. "Therefore, we're trying to be careful how much commercial development is along the corridor; it's a lot more fragile balance between commercial and residential than U.S. 19."

But residents and business owners who live and operate in the area have mixed reactions about developers' increased interest in Alt. 19.

"It seems contradictory to bring in more residents that are going to impact the infrastructure," said Judith Carberry, an Ozona resident.

Lesley Klein, owner of Oaktrail Books on Florida Avenue, said the residential increase is better than the alternative.

"Residential is better than the heavy commercial that was there before in some sections," Klein said. "As far as the downtown, having more residential living in the area hopefully means more customers for the downtown businesses and restaurants."

On May 16, commissioners will consider rezoning requests for the 6-acre Sherwood Forest RV Park, the southwest corner of Alt. U.S. 19 and Tampa Road. The property owner seeks to have the property rezoned from recreational-use to 10-units per acre. The county's development review services has recommended a no vote.

The owners of the now defunct Soda Works company, at Alt. 19 and Klosterman, are pushing for a project that would be 12.5-units per acre. Development review services has recommended approval.

Developers of the Soda Works project say the 6-acre property would become luxury condominiums starting at $250,000.

"There's so much commercial on U.S. 19," said Rick Hardwick, of Weatherstone Developers about the Soda Works request. "The feeling was it might make more sense to do some reasonably priced residential along Alt. 19."

[Last modified April 28, 2006, 01:16:18]